New provisions in Title I, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, encourage greater use of funds in high-poverty secondary schools. This handbook is the first of a two-volume series designed to support the implementation of the new Title I legislation. The volume describes an array of promising practices and principles for reform supported by current research in five interconnected program areas. It suggests ways in which Title I can be used effectively at the high-school level to achieve better results for disadvantaged students. The programs incorporate the following principles: (1) strengthening and enriching the secondary school curriculum; (2) adapting organizations to increase learning; (3) linking schooling to the future; (4) creating networks of support for students; and (5) providing resources for improvement. (Contains 107 references.) (LMI)